Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the dopamine-boosting compound in marijuana that, technically speaking, "induces euphoria" — science jargon for "gets you high." It also happens to work on the brain region involved in psychological addiction. Now, a team of researchers has identified a substance that blocks THC's dopamine effect. Why is that important? Let's have a grown-up discussion about weed.

We've already written about the mechanics behind how marijuana makes you feel. But you may be surprised to find out that in the United States, over a million people sought treatment for marijuana dependence in 2009 (Figure 7.8), nearly as many as did for cocaine and heroin combined. While the Marijuana Policy Project points out that 57% of those receiving treatment in the U.S. did so in lieu of serving a prison sentence, people still seek anti-dependence treatment in countries like the Netherlands where marijuana use has been decriminalized.

Like most drugs with addictive potential, THC works by increasing dopamine levels in the "reward centers" of the brain (the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens). A team led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the National Institute on Drug abuse found that the drug Ro 61-8048 blocks THC's ability to stimulate dopamine production in the brain's reward centers. Without dopamine, there's no neurological reward to the drug, and no drive to continue using it.

The researchers taught squirrel monkeys to self-administer THC by pushing a lever. Once the monkeys exhibited signs of addiction (in this case, frequent lever pushing), Ro 61-8048 reduced the reward effect of continual THC doses, leading the monkeys to stop seeking additional doses. The same behavior was seen in rats that were taught to dose themselves with WIN 55,212-2, a synthetic THC substitute.

The proposed city ordinance in Denver that would re-criminalize possession of marijuana in some public places and impose a year in jail and $999 fine for marijuana smell got what seemed to be a pretty cool reception today.

A council committee there took up the ordinance, beat it up and promised to revisit it, likely significantly redrafted, sometime down the road.

What’s it matter to Seattle/Washington and The Pot Blog?

The proposed rules came about as backlash to open use of marijuana in the city and lingering concerns about the social issues legal pot brings up: How kids will perceive marijuana use, whether its use will degrade the business climate downtown and if people will have to live with the smell of pot the next time they throw a birthday party for their kid in a park …

Consequently, it seems prudent to expect efforts to curtail marijuana use here as the legal system comes on board, the legal marijuana market gets underway and people see and smell it more.